I was delighted to see another adventure in this entertaining series, see my review of The Magic Chair Murder, so requested it and was thrilled to get an arc…
BLURB: 1930. Frances Black is worried – divorce proceedings are under way and her solicitor has learnt of a spiteful letter sent to the court claiming that there is more to her friendship with her sleuthing partner, Tom Dod, than meets the eye. Fran takes Tom’s advice to get away, travelling down to Devon to help the Edgertons with their family mystery. After meeting the charismatic Eddie Edgerton and
arriving at their residence, Sunnyside House, Fran soon learns that Eddie’s grandfather, Frederick Edgerton, died in mysterious circumstances when his wheelchair went off a cliff. Was it really an accident? And what happened to Frederick’s precious diamond which went missing at the time of his death? As Fran investigates, she uncovers family scandal, skulduggery and revenge, but can she solve the mystery of the missing diamond?
This time, Tom takes a back seat as Fran takes centre stage with this one, as it becomes important for the pair of them not to be seen together, due to a nasty note which has the potential to hold up Fran’s longed-for divorce. As a result, this is a classic country house mystery – and the upbeat, cheerful nature of this story isn’t inappropriate as the possible death she is investigating happened a while ago. In the meantime, Fran finds herself swept up by this open-hearted family. I really liked the fact that most of the characters came across as genuinely friendly and welcoming. It was a nice change seeing Fran enjoying herself and appreciating the luxurious surroundings and glorious scenery. We get to see another side to her character, which is always a bonus with a protagonist I’ve grown fond of – and I very much like Fran Black.
As for the investigation – while I didn’t foresee the way it turned out, I sort of got there a bit before Fran did, which was just fine. Because one of the main plotpoints in particular story had nothing to do with the investigation, but to do with Fran’s own future. And I was on tenterhooks to see what she would do – and desperately hoping that Janes wouldn’t make us wait until the next book before revealing her decision. I’m delighted to report that at the end of the story, we do discover what Fran intends to do – and I have to say that I was a tad disappointed with her choice…
Altogether, this was another solid addition to this excellent series and one I highly recommend to any fans of classical country house mysteries. As each story encompasses a separate mystery, it can be read as a standalone, though in order to get the most out of the characters, I would recommend you read the books in order. However if you, too, make a hobby of crashing midway into series, you certainly wouldn’t flounder with this one.
The ebook arc copy of The Missing Diamond Murder was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
9/10
before they returned to school this coming week, just as the temperature soared back into the 80s again. On Bank Holiday Monday we visited the Wetland and Wildfowl Trust, which we all thoroughly enjoyed – and were a bit shocked at how long it’s been since our last visit. The highlight was the boat ride through the reeds, as ever – but we also had great fun revisiting places where the children used to play, as the photo shows… On Tuesday we went to Worthing to our local Waterstones bookshop where both children bought books with their pocket money and on Wednesday, which was thankfully cooler – we visited Highdown Gardens before taking the children back home again. Their stay was over in the blink of an eye…
It’s been a mostly quiet life since Robin Hood denounced Marian, his pregnant wife, and his former life and retreated to a monastery to repent his sins . . . although no one knows what he did that was so heinous he would leave behind Sherwood Forest and those he loved most.
spiteful letter sent to the court claiming that there is more to her friendship with her sleuthing partner, Tom Dod, than meets the eye. Fran takes Tom’s advice to get away, travelling down to Devon to help the Edgertons with their family mystery. After meeting the charismatic Eddie Edgerton and arriving at their residence, Sunnyside House, Fran soon learns that Eddie’s grandfather, Frederick Edgerton, died in mysterious circumstances when his wheelchair went off a cliff. Was it really an accident? And what happened to Frederick’s precious diamond which went missing at the time of his death? As Fran investigates, she uncovers family scandal, skulduggery and revenge, but can she solve the mystery of the missing diamond?
Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching needs magic–fast! Her sticky little brother Wentworth has been spirited away by the evil Queen of Faerie, and it’s up to her to get him back safely. Having already decided to grow up to be a witch, now all Tiffany has to do is find her power. But she quickly learns that it’s not all black cats and broomsticks. According to her witchy mentor Miss Tick, “Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to…We do other things. A witch pays attention to everything that’s going on…A witch uses her head…A witch always has a piece of string!” Luckily, besides her trusty string, Tiffany’s also got the Nac Mac Feegles, or the Wee Free Men on her side. Small, blue, and heavily tattooed, the Feegles love nothing more than a good fight except maybe a drop of strong drink!
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.
63% ‘Eddie and I went to Sidmouth today,’ Fran said. ‘And according to Mrs Headingham, who is an old friend of your husband’s grandfather, he told her years ago that the diamond belonged to a friend of his, a Frenchman called Georges Poussin.’ She watched their faces for any flicker of recognition, but all that greeted her was astonishment and doubt, part of which, she thought, was probably due to her casually mentioning Mrs Headingham’s name over dinner as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Dean. They might seem like tragic accidents, but Aunt Hetty isn’t so sure. After all, all three took a stand against Reverend Pinder, the new vicar of St Agnes Church, whose controversial changes have divided the congregation. But is there really a killer among the parishioners? And while Fran leaps at the chance to spend a weekend at Aunt Hetty’s sleuthing with Tom, could the trip prove to be a poisoned chalice in more ways than one?
Tom Dod’s Aunt Hetty is worried – three sudden deaths have occurred in the sleepy village of Durley Dean. They might seem like tragic accidents, but Aunt Hetty isn’t so sure. After all, all three took a stand against Reverend Pinder, the new vicar of St Agnes Church, whose controversial changes have divided the congregation. But is there really a killer among the parishioners? And while Fran leaps at the chance to spend a weekend at Aunt Hetty’s sleuthing with Tom, could the trip prove to be a poisoned chalice in more ways than one?
Sleeping Beauty has woken. The world has been renewed. Everyone is living happily ever after . . . Almost.
year was only a few days old. After the success of the last few years, I have become a real fan of this process as it has given me clear targets to work towards throughout the year and then at the end of every month, hold myself to account in fulfilling these goals. So how did I do in February?
Keeper of the Watch
Fire and Bone
Brainfluff 